The Ties That Bind
by SapphireCuatro
Summary: Haru and Rin are madly in love with each other. But when they find out that Rin is pregnant...what are they going to do?
1. Unexpected News

And now...I present...my second Fruits Basket fic...and...the second one with Rin and Haru as the primary pairing. I guess I'm a sucker for them...

Unlike my last one, though, this one is Haru's POV. And sorry about the title. I hate it, but that's what I thought up of, so I'll stick with it. So anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

**T**here was rapping on the bedroom door.

"Hatsuharu? Hatsuharu…?"

The door opened, and Haru was standing there. "What?"

"You have a phone call", his mother replied, and then walked away.

Haru was a bit curious, and went to answer the phone in the hall.

"Hello?"

"_Hello. This is Kazuma Sohma. Is Hatsuharu there?" _

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Ah, good. There's something I need to tell you. It's about Isuzu…"

Haru's attention--and concern--was immediately peaked. "Did something happen to her? Is she in the hospital again?"

"_No. It's nothing like that. It's…Isuzu found out something troubling, and I thought it important for you to know." _

Haru almost dropped the phone.

"Where's Rin?" Haru asked when he reached Kazuma's house.

Kazuma looked around the room. There was no one but him and Haru.

"Well…that's odd…she was here just a minute ago. I'll go get her…"

"Don't worry about it, Shihan. I'll go get her myself."

He went through the house, looking in each room. There was no sign of Rin anywhere. She wasn't in her room. She wasn't in the bathroom. She wasn't in the kitchen. Haru was beginning to suspect that she wasn't even in the house…

When he bumped into Kazuma during his search, the latter said, "Oh, have you seen Isuzu already?"

"No…it would seem that she's given me the slip…"

"Perhaps now isn't the best time to see her. After all, she's still in disbelief herself. Give her some time to let it sink in…she'll come around, I'm sure. She always does, eventually."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that with Rin, 'eventually' can be a _loooong_ time. But it's all right. It's one of the things I like about her--she helps hone the virtues of patience and diligence."

"Well, you're free to stay as long as you like."

"W…wait, Shihan. I have something to ask you. Have you…told anyone else about this?"

"No. Isuzu was very reluctant to let anyone know. I told you because I thought that if there was one person who should be told, it was you…being the father…"

"Oh. Okay. I was just making sure…I don't think it's the right time for others to know yet…Shihan, did Rin seem…I mean, how did she take it?"

"She was upset. She didn't want you to know."

"Well…uh…thanks for telling me anyway. Rin just never learns. I don't _want_ her to try to take everything on herself! I try to be there for her, and she doesn't get it. Am I not being clear?"

"…I think that may just be part of her nature."

"Well, she _is_ known for stubbornness. But I can be stubborn too, so I guess me and Rin are gonna have a battle of stubbornness."

"A battle of stubbornness? Against Isuzu? Best of luck."

"Well, but maybe you _should_ go get her…cause there's no way I'll catch her…"

There was a pause.

Then Haru said, "You have no idea where she is, do you?"

"I haven't a clue."

"Right. So I guess I don't have much choice…I'll just have to sit here and wait for Rin to cave."

"…that may not be the best idea, Hatsuharu."

"…you think so? Then…I guess I just have to take her by surprise. She has to come back eventually, right? I'll come back later, Shihan. But don't tell Rin I was here."

That evening, Haru returned to Kazuma's house. This time, however, instead of blatantly walking up to the house, he crouched down, creeping up to it, trying to lay low. He didn't want Rin to know he was coming. If she got the chance to run off, there was no way he could catch her, so he decided it was best to try and corner her…

He snuck around to the back of the house, careful to duck his head when he went by any windows. As quietly as possible, he entered through the back door…

Operation: Sneak-in-the-back-way-because-the-stubborn-girlfriend-wouldn't-expect-it was a success.

Kazuma had heard something and came back to check. He was surprised to see Haru standing there.

"I wasn't expecting you", he said, "Are you staying for dinner?"

"Something's burning", Haru commented.

"Ah! That's dinner!" Kazuma hurried back into the kitchen. Haru trailed after him at a more leisurely pace.

_She_ was already on the case. She was putting out one of the fish (which had caught on fire). She had her back turned to Kazuma and Haru.

"Ah, Isuzu…" said Kazuma.

"I _thought_ I smelled something burning! You know, I shouldn't have to be afraid that the house will burn down every time you get near a stove! How could you screw up such a simple meal?!"

"You exaggerate, Isuzu. It's only slightly burned."

"It's charcoal."

"Ah, don't be so hard on him…Rin."

Rin stiffened, then whirled around. Haru was ready. He grabbed her wrist before she could get out of the room.

She resigned herself to defeat and stopped resisting, but her jaw was set and she averted her eyes.

"Rin…we need to talk."

"…I'm pregnant. There's nothing to talk about!"

Kazuma walked over to the burned fish. "Perhaps we should just eat takeout tonight…"

* * *

Poor Kazuma. I just can never help but get in some crack about his cooking...

Anyway, that's the first chapter. Please stay tuned!


	2. Denial

Thank you for your reviews and for reading this story!

Here is Chapter 2.

* * *

Haru crept up to the house, and went to crouch under a window, only to find Kagura there, much to his surprise.

"Ssh", said Haru when Kagura was about to open her mouth, "I'm sneaking up on Rin."

"Ssh", Kagura replied, "I'm sneaking up on Kyo-kun."

"Oh, he's visiting today...?"

"Yes, he and Tohru-chan are here together. But for some reason, he still gets wary when I come around, so I'm going to surprise him..."

Haru stood. "Ah. I don't have anything to worry about, then."

"...what are you talking about?"

"If Tohru's around...then Rin will definitely have tried to make a getaway by now."

"Oh, but didn't you say that those two are friends?"

"...yes. That's how Rin bonds. If she runs away from you, then you know you mean a lot to her. I guess I'll have to come back later..."

...

Haru found Rin in the bathroom later.

"What are you doing?"

She jumped. Clearly, this was not an activity she wanted him to walk in on. She tried to block off his view of the sink with her body and knock the things she was hiding into the trashcan. "It's none of your business..."

"Don't be like that, Rin. Does it have something to do with the third person in the room?"

"It has nothing to do with that!!" she cried angrily. Haru caught a glimpse of what was behind her and grabbed it.

He had it just long enough to see what it was before she snatched it away from him again.

"A pregnancy test...?" He looked at her quizzically.

Rin threw it in the trash. "It's not like it means anything." Now that the cat was out of the bag, she wasn't so determined to hide what was behind her.

"Six pregnancy tests...?"

All were positive.

Rin looked uncomfortable.

"...I was making sure."

"These six say...it's definitely the case."

"Now, do you mind...? I actually need to use the bathroom."

She kicked him out.

Later, Haru spoke to Kazuma.

"...she's really not taking this well, is she?" asked Haru.

"It's understandable. She says she's all right, but I hear her in the bathroom every day with morning sickness. A pregnancy can be a dangerous thing for her, on account of her medical history. I'll try my best to make sure she remains healthy enough to stay out of hospitals, but I'll need help from you as well, Hatsuharu."

"You don't have anything to worry about, Shihan. I'll try to help Rin in every way I can."

"I know you'll try...but I do hope you'll come to fully realize what this means, Hatsuharu. This child will be born to a young woman who's not even married--not even living--with its father, who's even younger."

"Well...I'm not going to lie and make it sound like I'm more mature and responsible than I really am. The fact that she got pregnant like this is proof that I'm irresponsible. We...were careless. No. Not Rin. Me. I was the careless one. I was only thinking of myself. I...should have maybe considered more the consequences of what we were doing. I...can see how Rin would be in denial. I mean, I...I can't even believe this has happened. I guess I won't fully believe it until she starts showing. I haven't decided what to do yet, but...I want it to have both its mother and its father. Together."

"Don't rush into any hasty decisions. You'll have a while to think about what you want to do. If you and Isuzu come to an agreement, I'll see if it can be arranged."

"...now may not be the best time to talk to Rin about having a baby", Haru replied.

"I...didn't necessarily mean right now."

"...I heard that Kyo and Tohru came over earlier", said Haru after a pause, "They don't know anything, do they?"

"I've already told you, Hatsuharu. Isuzu didn't want anyone to know, and I respected her wishes. The only one I told was you, for obvious reasons. It's not my place to tell."

"Well...we won't be able to hide it forever...I just don't want Rin to get stressed any sooner than necessary."

"I don't think they're the ones stressing her out..."

...

Haru gave Rin a quick kiss. "Bye. I'll be back tomorrow."

"...okay."

Haru walked away, and Rin went back inside. Haru looked back at her over his shoulder, worried.

* * *

That was really bizarre. When I uploaded this, that last little paragraph got cut out. But I added it back in.


	3. Rin's Distress

Thank you for reading this story. After all...you can't have writers without readers!

Ok, that was lame, sorry...

* * *

Haru knew something was amiss when he went to visit Rin the next day.

She was very loving and cheerful. She kissed him when he came in. It wasn't that he distrusted her. She just had a history of doing reckless things, without thinking them through at all, on her own. It worried him. As soon as he saw she was acting friendly and affectionate so as not to arouse suspicion, he got suspicious. She was planning something, and Haru was pretty sure it was related to their...unexpected gift from the heavens.

He didn't want her to know that he was onto her, or she would get defensive and even sneakier and he'd never find out what she was up to.

He had to act like his normal self so she wouldn't suspect him, then give her the slip at first opportunity and find out what she was planning.

She wouldn't leave him alone and give him the opportunity, though. She was clinging to him from the minute he entered Kazuma's house.

She knew. She knew that he knew. And she wasn't going to leave him alone until he was gone from Kazuma's house and far away enough that he couldn't stop her from doing whatever it was she was planning to do.

Well. She was never going to give him the chance to sneak off...he'd have to try a different approach. He thought he might have a chance of coaxing the truth out of her...but it would take careful execution.

He returned her affection with a kiss. "Rin...you know I worry about you all the time."

"I worry about you, too."

"...why? There's nothing to worry about me. I'm a bit of an idiot, but I stay out of trouble."

"That...that's not what I'm talking about, Haru! I mean, you're always worried about me, even though I tell you not to worry, and I'm going to worry about you, even though you're telling me not to. Everyone should have someone to worry about them."

"...maybe if you didn't jump to hasty decisions, I wouldn't have to worry so much." He held her close to him. "When you rush in recklessly...I don't like it. It makes me upset."

"...you've told me that before..." said Rin, "...actually, Haru...I have to ask you something." She put a hand on her stomach. "...what do you think of this?"

"Well...I wasn't planning on being a father right now. I hadn't even thought about it. But...I'll love it anyway. I'll love it anyway, because it's ours. Together."

"...I see...are you sure...?"

"Of course I'm sure. Why?"

When she didn't answer, he put on a little more pressure. "Rin...?"

"...I don't love it. I don't want it. I don't think I can love it. I wish it didn't exist. How can I give birth to it? To be born to parents who don't love it...that's cruel."

"But...I do love it."

"How can you?! It's not even born yet!"

"It doesn't matter. Even though we weren't expecting to have a baby...it's not like I'll hold that against it."

"It's not a baby!" Rin replied, "It's not a baby until it's born."

"Okay. Calm down." She looked like she'd immediately reverted back to her usual stubborn mood and was going to leave. He pulled her even closer to him. "But I'll still love it, and I'll always love you. So...you shouldn't worry about that. When you need me, I'll always be there...if you'll let me."

"...well..." said Rin slowly, and after some consideration, "M-maybe this has just shaken me because it was so unexpected. Maybe...after a while...I'll grow to love it."

"I'm sure you will", Haru told her, "This ba--I mean, its parents will love it very much by the time it's born. And they'll always love it. Always. No matter what happens."

"...yeah."

* * *

Rin was briefly toying with the idea of getting an abortion, but Haru (unknowingly) changed her mind. As anyone who follows the series knows, Rin regards Haru very highly, and if she's mean, it's just because she thinks he's protecting him...except, he doesn't want to be protected...

It's a very strange (yet loving) relationship they have. That's probably why they're my favorite pairing.


	4. Let's Learn About Babies

This is kind of a more light-hearted chapter. I'm thinking that this story falls under a category other than 'Drama', but I'm not exactly clear on what falls under each category, so...

"That's a lot of books you're carrying, there", said Kunimitsu.

"...help me open the door, please..."

Haru dropped the books on the kitchen table and went to go look for Rin.

But he couldn't find her anywhere! And he couldn't find Kazuma to ask where she was! So he turned to Kunimitsu, who told him that both Rin and Kazuma were out and he wasn't sure when they'd be back. Haru wasn't sure who he wanted to get back first. He needed to talk to Rin, but he also wanted to talk to Kazuma.

He lounged around Kazuma's house until he heard the front door. He went to go meet whoever it was.

It was Kazuma and Rin both. Kazuma was carrying some groceries.

"Hey, wait a minute, were you two out _together_?"

Rin must have thought that Haru was giving her a strange look, because she quickly said, "It's not like it's a big deal or anything!"

Haru took her hand. "Rin...your maternal instincts are kicking in already."

_"There are no 'maternal instincts'!! I told you it's not a big deal!!" _

"Hunh. I think it's cute."

_"Are you even listening to me?!" _

"There was just something Isuzu wanted to talk to me about. It's nothing to worry about", said Kazuma. He went in the kitchen to put the groceries away. "What's all this?" he wondered.

Haru and Rin went into the kitchen.

"Haru, what are those books?" asked Rin.

"I got some books about babies."

"...what? Babies!"

He put a hand on her stomach. "Yes. Babies."

She grabbed his hand. "Stop that! I already told you, it's not a baby until it's born!"

Still, when Haru opened one of the books, which was about the stages of fetal development, Rin was right beside him, looking at the pictures with just as much interest.

"...why does it have flippers?" she asked at one point.

"That's it's feet", Haru replied.

"I _know_ it's supposed to be feet, but all the toes are webbed."

"They're not webbed...I think", Haru replied, "So how far along are you now?"

"I don't know...a month or so?"

Haru flipped to a corresponding section of the book. They read the pages together.

"Is that really what it looks like right now?" asked Rin.

"I guess so."

"But how do they get a camera inside to take pictures?"

"I don't know."

They looked at that picture, not quite able to grasp it completely. Sure, babies that far along looked like that in a book, but that wasn't what _theirs_ looked like, surely?

"...it's kind of cute", said Haru.

"It looks like a jelly bean with bug eyes."

"It's so tiny..." He looked at Rin's stomach.

_"Knock it off!!" _

...

"Hatsuharu, where did you get those books?" asked Kazuma later, as he prepared dinner.

"Oh. The library."

"Isuzu seemed just as interested as you were."

"Yeah...she'll come around eventually, like you said."

Incidentally, Rin had gone to the bathroom.

"Actually, Shihan", said Haru, "There _was_ something I wanted to talk to you about. An idea I had...I've been thinking about it since I found out Rin was pregnant, but I want you to tell me if it's stupid or not..."

"Well, I suppose I can give you my opinion..."

"All right. Well, I was thinking..."

Haru trailed off as Rin came back.

She looked between the two of them quizzically.

"It's nothing, Rin", said Haru, "We were doing some manly bonding."

Rin looked even more confused.

"...we were just talking, Isuzu", said Kazuma.

She didn't seem like she was going to argue. "I--hey!!"

She rushed to Kazuma's side and pushed him away from the counter.

"How many times do we have to go over this?" she scolded, "You're _not_ cooking!"

"Someone has to cook..."

"I'll do it!" Rin snapped, "I don't mind...er."

She'd forgotten that Haru was in the room.

She turned and looked at him.

"Be quiet!"

"...I didn't say anything."

"It's for what you're going to say!"

"I wasn't going to say anything. It's just that I had no idea that you even liked to cook."

"I...it's not that troublesome."

"Isuzu wants an efficient household", said Kazuma.

"...she's practicing for when she'll be running a household of her own. It's those maternal instincts..." Haru replied.

"Why does it always come back to that?!" Rin snapped, "You're making something out of nothing!"

"She's even practicing nagging me."

_"Stop it, Haru!!" _

"...but I'm not doing anything."

_"Stop arguing with me or you're not getting any dinner!!" _

She stopped and thought about what she'd just said, then turned away, embarrassed.

Haru was amused.

Things are going to move pretty fast from this point on, I think. I can never have my stories too long, or I'll never finish them.


	5. The Cat's Out of the Bag

Huh. It's kind of weird. I may just be me, but I think this story is starting to take on a more comedic air...

Anyway, thank you for your reviews and for following this story. Here's Chapter 5.

Rin seemed to grow more receptive as the pregnancy wore on. Haru knew it wouldn't last, though. Sooner or later, the Sohmas were going to find out, and he wasn't quite sure of the best way to break it to them...because by this time, Rin was beginning to show, and anyone who saw her would probably be able to figure it out.

Rin knew this and managed to get out of the house whenever one of the Sohmas came around to Kazuma's house, but Kagura caught her by surprise one day, before she had a chance to escape.

"Isuzu, when did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" asked Kagura, "I thought we were friends!"

"You're not a friend or anything else to me!"

Kagura slammed a fist on the table. "I see your temperament hasn't improved!"

"I wouldn't be talking about temperament."

"What's your problem, anyway?! Why do you have to be so _obstinate_?"

"She's always like that", said Haru.

"_Stay out of it!!_" said Rin and Kagura together.

Haru sensed when he wasn't wanted and went out to the back porch, where Kunimitsu was sweeping.

"I've been banished", said Haru.

"You shouldn't ever get in the middle of a fight between girls", Kunimitsu replied, "It's just asking for trouble."

"I know. I don't think they would hurt each other or anything, but there could still be trouble."

When Rin and Kagura had been reduced to sending each other dark looks across the table, Haru returned.

"Kagura", he said, "...before you leave, there's something I need to ask you."

"What is it? Is it about Isuzu's...condition?"

_"Don't talk about me like I have a disease or something!!" _

"I'm _not_! I'm just _saying_--!"

"Kagura!" said Haru. He didn't want to have to wait for the two of them to battle it out again. "We haven't told anyone else yet that Rin is pregnant."

"Oh, I see...so it's a secret, huh? And you don't want me to tell?"

"...yeah."

"Oh, but you don't have to worry! I won't tell! I'm pretty good at keeping secrets!" Kagura replied.

"Stop sounding so peppy about it!"

"You're just picking for a fight, aren't you?!"

"That's enough, ladies", said Haru.

"That's right!" said Kagura, "Haru, tell your girlfriend to stop being so _stubborn_!"

"I'm sorry...you ask the impossible of me."

"Stop appealing to my boyfriend! Leave him out of this!" snapped Rin.

"I just hope that the baby takes after its father!"

"Well, so do I!"

The two of them stopped, as it occurred to them that they'd just come to an agreement on something.

"Well, I was thinking it should have Haru's personality", said Kagura more quietly.

"Well, I want it to have Haru's looks", Rin replied.

"What if it's a girl?"

"It could be a girl with Haru's looks and still be cute. Haru could be cute as a girl!"

Kagura and Rin both looked at Haru thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I think you're right..." Kagura replied.

Haru was starting to feel a bit awkward.

"Actually, I think it would be adorable if it had Haru's white hair", Kagura added, "Whether it's a boy or girl!"

"He only has that hair color because he's the ox", Rin replied.

"You're so pessimistic! I'm sure there's some gene or something! Your baby could have white hair!"

"No it couldn't! And it's not a baby until it's born!"

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard! It's a baby right now!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"I'm the mother, and it's not a baby until _I_ say so!"

"What about Haru?! Doesn't he get a say?!"

"No!! He gets the easy job! _I'm_ the one who has to lug this thing around, so I get to make the decisions!"

"It's not like that's his fault! It's part of the burden of being female! That's why we girls need to stick together! But _you_ have to be _difficult_."

"Maybe that wouldn't be the case if _you_ weren't so obnoxious! And it _is_ his fault! He's the one who got me pregnant!"

"It takes two, you know."

_"Stop patronizing me!!" _

Haru should have known that the two of them getting along wouldn't last, but neither one of them was the sort to back down in a hurry, so he decided it might be best to get out of the room before they decided to team up against him.

"Where are you going, Haru?" asked Kagura as he was halfway out the door.

They'd stopped arguing with each other.

"You don't have to worry, Haru", said Kagura, coming over to him, "I'll come back when a _certain person_ is in a better mood."

"_Just go home already!!_" Rin snapped.

"Remember...don't tell anyone", said Haru.

"Don't worry! I told you already that I won't! I'll keep your little secret...a secret."

"You make it sound like something dirty."

"I can keep _those_ kinds of secrets, too."

"Oh, that's a relief. I've got something good to tell you..."

Rin was on her feet and at Haru's side. He hadn't even known she could move so fast.

"Go home!" she said to Kagura.

"I'm going! There's no need to be so possessive!"

"I'm not being possessive! Oh, and...if you tell that girl...if you even drop a hint...then again, she's so thick, hints won't be sufficient for her to figure it out..."

"Oh, do you mean Tohru-chan?"

"Yes, I mean her!"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that..."

Kagura left.

Rin turned to Haru.

"So...you have a dirty little secret to tell her, huh?"

"...I was kidding!"

Wow...now that I think about, Rin doesn't really get along with any female characters, does she...? She gets along with Tohru best, I guess...but it's not exactly your standard definition of 'getting along'...


	6. Clothes Shopping

I guess, in a way, you could call this a 'random chapter'...

But it was just something I thought up of while I was writing. And I apologize for its shortness...

And I discovered something totally and absolutely wrong! There's only one RinxHaru C2 community! There's more HaruxKyo and HaruxYuki than HaruxRin!! There's totally something completely wrong about that!!

* * *

It didn't take a terribly long time before Rin was forced to accept it...

...the vast majority of her wardrobe could not accomodate her swelling stomach.

It was this (reluctantly accepted) revelation that had brought Rin and Haru to this point.

Their mission: to buy clothes that could accomodate her.

It wasn't going well. Rin was a picky shopper. Nothing they found that actually fit her was to her liking.

"Rin, you have to pick _something_", said Haru, "Your clothes don't really fit well for junior there."

"I _know_", she said, "If I saw something I actually _liked_, I'd buy it!"

She was wearing Haru's coat, which was big enough to hide the fact the fact that she was pregnant.

"Well, what _do_ you like? Any particular color? Style? Give me something to work with here."

"I'll know when I see it!"

"...that's not helpful."

Another hour passed, and still nothing had been accomplished...

...at least, it appeared that way, but it wasn't entirely true. Some progress had been made. Rin had found something she was actually considering, and had gone to the fitting rooms to try it on.

On account of these circumstances, Haru was waiting in the women's section of the store, like some security guard outside the fitting rooms. Women saw him and spoke to each other in hushed voices, and some of them giggled. One group of teenage girls seemed like they were going to try to make a move on him.

He _really_ wished Rin would hurry up.

As if on cue, Rin made her grand appearance.

The teenage girls were backing off.

Haru wasn't going to try to deny it. Rin could glare like a basilisk.

"..well?" he asked.

"It's fine...I guess. Let's hurry this up. I'm getting tired."

After three more stores and having women hit on him (and he was sure he kept seeing those teenage girls again in every store), Haru was ready to go.

But, he didn't want Rin to feel like she was being rushed. So, he stood there like a sentinel, holding Rin's shopping bags, feeling the gaze of women upon him. They were probably deciding which of them should go flirt with him...even though it should have been completely obvious that that only way he would _ever_ find himself outside the women's dressing rooms was if he was waiting for his woman...

Women were such strange creatures.

He was relieved when Rin came out and her glares sent other women scurrying away from him.

"I'm ready to go home", she told him.

Haru had been waiting for her to say that all day!

"All right", she said, "Let's go buy this and then we can go."

* * *

Anyway, sorry if you didn't like how this chapter...well...had nothing to do with anything. But we'll get back to Kagura in Chapter 7.


	7. Bonding?

I apologize for the wait. It's been like, what, a week? I've actually had this chapter ready since Friday, I just never got a chance to upload it...

So anyway, at long last, here is Chapter 7. I'll try to update sooner next time.

* * *

"Ah. Hello, Kagura. Nice to see you", said Kazuma.

"What're you talking about?!" asked Rin, "It's not nice to see her!"

"I see you're in your usual lovely mood", said Kagura cheerily.

"You can't just come over to someone's house anytime you feel like! It's rude!"

Haru, Kagura, and Kazuma were stricken with the complete irony of that statement.

"Well, I just wanted to see how you're doing!" said Kagura.

"I'm fine. Go home."

"So how far along are you, anyway?" asked Kagura, completely ignoring Rin's protests.

"I don't know. Go home."

"When did you find out you were pregnant?"

"It was August", said Haru.

"Oh, really? So that means it'll probably be born...if I had to guess...May?"

"Who cares? It's not like I'm going to tell you when it's born."

"Aw, why not? I wanted to hold it. I love babies."

"It's okay, Kagura. You can hold it", said Haru.

"So is it a boy or a girl?"

"Umm...I don't know", Haru replied.

"You mean you haven't found out yet? Isuzu should be far enough along where you can find out..."

"Well, maybe I don't _want_ to find out yet!" Rin snapped, "Maybe I want to find out when it's born, huh?!"

"You don't have to bite my head off!"

"Isuzu, please stop antagonizing her", said Kazuma, "I don't want her to destroy my house."

"I would never do something like that, Shihan!" cried Kagura indignantly.

"Destroying sensei's house is enough for her", said Haru.

Kagura came over and sat down next to Rin. "So no one else knows still, right?"

"You better have kept it that way", said Rin darkly.

"Don't worry! I didn't tell Tohru, just like you said. Well, anyway, I just thought I'd come to see how you were doing. I haven't been over in a while.

"Oh. Well, she's doing fine", said Haru, "She had to get bigger clothes, though."

"I can see that. But hey, I was doing some research on babies and stuff, because, you know, I wanted to help you guys out. But you know what? I read that if you talk to your baby while you're pregnant, it will recognize your voice once it's born."

"What? That's stupid. I've never heard anything like that", said Rin.

"Well, I don't expect you would have."

"So...if you talk to it, it'll recognize your voice once it's born, huh...?" Haru was thoughtful.

"Haru...don't tell me you're actually thinking something that absurd could be _true_?" said Rin furiously.

Haru sat down next to Rin and put his hands on either side of her stomach. "Hello. I'm Haru Sohma. I'm your daddy."

"_Haru!!_"

"The crabby lady with the angry voice is your mommy. You've made her kind of..._temperamental_."

"_You're_ the one making me 'temperamental'!"

"But it's okay. She may be stubborn, but she's actually a nice lady."

"Stop ignoring me!"

"Though she does get annoyed very easily. You'll want to watch out for that."

"Haru!"

"But she's the smart one."

"Stop being stupid! It's not like it can hear you!"

Haru looked at her. "How do _you_ know?"

...

Kazuma heard something strange when he passed by Rin's room in the hall that night. He thought he heard...her voice. Was she talking to herself?

He went closer to the door.

"--and, um, I'm Rin Sohma. Well, actually, Isuzu is really my name, but I go by Rin. Um...I'm, er, your mother, so, um...yeah. I think this is really stupid, but...just in case you _can_ hear me right now...I, um, may have given off a bad impression earlier, so..."

Kazuma smiled and continued down the hall.

* * *

Well, that's that. And for those of you who have been kind of like "WTF?! Where are the other Zodiac members?!"

Don't worry. They're coming in future chapters.


	8. Without Your Consent

Well, now some other characters will come into the picture.

Thank you for your reviews and for following this story! Here is Chapter 8.

* * *

Something about Kagura's visit bothered Rin--well, other than the fact that Kagura had visited. Something Kagura had said...but she couldn't quite figure it out...

Then she remembered.

_"I didn't tell Tohru-chan, just like you said._"

But wait...that couldn't mean...

A few days later, Ayame sent his well wishes in the form of a very large bouquet of roses, accompanied by a very eloquent letter, to the prospective parents.

"So she told Ayame", said Haru dismissively, "I was going to tell him myself. And besides, the flowers are nice."

Later, a very confused deliveryman presented them with another gift from the snake...a very large Mogeta plushie, for the baby.

"What is this?" asked Rin. The plushie was over half her height.

"Don't let Hiro and Kisa see it."

"Um, huh?"

But Ayame wasn't done expressing his good will! He tried to call multiple times, but as soon as Rin heard his voice on the other line she slammed the phone down...then again, he kept trying to get her measurements so he could make a special outfit for her for just Haru to see...that would accomodate her current condition, of course.

Hiro and Kisa came by to see her, which Rin found annoying, but which she put up with because Haru was there. Kisa was thrilled that there was going to be another baby in the family.

"It could be a playmate for Hinata-chan!" she said cheerfully.

Hiro wasn't as openly happy--he never was--but he wished the two of them the best of luck. He tried to ask after Rin's health, but she told him flat out to mind his own business.

"Well, okay, so that's three so far..." said Haru, "It could be worse."

Momiji was completely overjoyed at the news and came to give both of them great big hugs, which Rin did _not_ take well to. When it looked as if the horse would throttle the rabbit, Haru wisely got him out of her range.

Even Shigure came by, accompanied by Hatori.

"Ah, Rin, you poor thing, pregnant and unmarried...would you like to be my bride?"

Hatori scowled in annoyance while Shigure rubbed his cheek where Rin had slapped him.

After some persuasion from Haru, Rin agreed to let Hatori give checkups to her and the baby--but she made it clear that under no circumstances was she stepping foot in a hospital until the baby was born.

"Isuzu's not accustomed to having so many visitors, I think", said Kazuma, "How's she doing?"

"Ah, she's doing all right", Haru replied, "She's just debating what weapon to use the next time Kagura comes around."

"So I suppose Tohru-san's the only one who doesn't know yet?"

"Yeah...Rin's really determined not to let her know. But I think she'll tell Tohru eventually. Just give her time."

"...I'll take your word for it, Hatsuharu."

"But I'll have to warn Kagura that she shouldn't come around, if she knows what's good for her."

"..."

* * *

Ah, Ayame...I had to throw him in there. I just couldn't resist.


	9. Not Tohru!

Thank you all for your reviews and for...favoriting this story...putting it on your alert...and following it this far! We don't have much longer to go, I'm not sure if that's good or bad...

Anyway, here's Chapter 9!

* * *

Rin had been highly successful in putting it off...in avoiding the issue altogether...until now. The game was up.

Tohru had come to visit multiple times, and each time, Rin had managed to avoid her. Until now.

Tohru, whose presence was typically known the moment she entered a house, as she announced herself to the world, had snuck up on Rin.

Rin wasn't sure how she'd managed to do it. This time, she hadn't heard Tohru come in and announce herself, then blather on to Kazuma about how she was sorry for imposing on him. Rin had been caught completely unawares.

She had just innocently walked into the kitchen, the unsuspecting quarry, when Tohru ambushed her.

"ISUZU-SAN!!"

Rin twitched, and saw Tohru before her. The shorter girl's hair was in pigtails, and she had her usual stupid grin on her face.

"Isuzu-san, it's so good to see you! I've been trying to come visit, but you were never home! You must have been busy lately, Isuzu-san! Oh, but I've been busy too, so..."

She stopped talking.

She noticed Rin's distended belly.

"What are you looking at?!" Rin snapped, and immediately Tohru got frantic.

"I-I'm sorry, Isuzu-san!! I didn't mean to stare!! It's just that...you..."

She trailed off.

Rin waited.

"Isuzu-san...Isuzu-san, are you...expecting?"

"None of your business!"

"I'm sorry! I don't mean to pry! But...I...I had no idea!"

"That's because it's none of your business!"

"Oh, but don't worry, Isuzu-san. I can come by all the time and try to keep your spirits up. And I could bring things for you and the baby..."

"Don't bother!!"

"So do you know if the baby is a boy or a girl yet?"

"Why does everybody keep asking that?!"

"I-I'm sorry! I mean, I didn't know that it had been asked before..."

"Don't you have anything better to do?!"

...

"So Tohru-san came by earlier?" asked Kazuma.

"That's what Rin said. I wish I'd been around. It's rare to find someone Rin gets along so well with", Haru replied.

"Are you staying for dinner again tonight?"

"Oh...uh, I guess." He shifted. "Rin's been staying out of the hospital."

"Yes. I've noticed."

"But that's why we haven't found out its gender yet", said Haru conversationally, "Rin wants as little to do with doctors as possible."

"Well, that's understandable."

"So anyway, Shihan...that idea I had about me and Rin...you haven't gotten back to me on that yet."

"I don't have any problem with it. But the question here is whether you're willing to go through with it."

"...yeah...I think I am...I'm sure of it."

"Have you discussed it with Isuzu yet?"

"Well...no. I haven't gotten around to it yet...but I'm going to!"

"You're running out of time."

"I know...don't worry about it, Shihan. I'll talk it over with her."

* * *

Well, Tohru's back...poor Rin. First Kagura, now Tohru. She's just getting it from all sides.


	10. The Sensible Rat

This chapter will deter from the more humorous and light-hearted tones of previous chapters and bring up something serious. I do apologize. This chapter was orginally part of...Chapter 8, I do believe. Except, in my original draft Tohru finds out about the pregnancy before the other members of the Zodiac, but then I changed it, hence why I split this part off into a separate chapter.

Anyway, thank you for all your reviews, and for following this story. (I like AkitoxShigure quite a lot, too, by the way. They'll be my next pairing to try. And maybe a YukixMachi too).

But that aside, here's Chapter 10!

* * *

Tohru came to visit Rin quite frequently (a little too frequently for Rin's tastes), and one time, she dragged Yuki and Kyo along with her.

"Isuzu-san!" Tohru greeted.

"Oh. You're here again", said Rin, sounding less than enthusiastic about it.

"How are you doing, Isuzu-san? You're looking well."

"I think she might be feeling overwhelmed", said Yuki.

"Eh?! Ah...I'm sorry, Isuzu-san! I had no idea! I must be making things worse!"

Rin was about to reply with, "Yes, you ar--"

But Haru cut her off with, "Nah, don't worry about it."

"Oh, but, that's not necessarily the only thing I'm sorry for! I told Isuzu-san I would get her some things for the baby, and I haven't done it yet!"

"Don't worry about that, either. There's still time before it's born."

"Hey, where's Shishou?" asked Kyo, who seemed like he really didn't want to talk babies.

"It seems that Shihan is not accustomed to having everyone in the Zodiac come by..." Haru replied.

"Everyone in the Zodiac came to see you and Isuzu-san?" asked Tohru, who was thrilled.

"Well...not Kureno and Ritsu...or Ayame...but your brother did call us, Yuki."

Yuki looked at Rin. "Whatever he did, I'm very sorry. Really."

"Why did I have to come, anyway?" asked Kyo sulkily.

"Because, Kyo-kun! We've come to give Isuzu-san our well wishes!"

Haru and Yuki's eyes met.

"I'm gonna go get a drink. I'll be right back, Rin", said Haru.

Rin looked horrified that Haru would leave her alone with her visitors.

Haru went into the kitchen. Yuki joined him a short while later.

"What is it?" Yuki inquired.

"...I need to talk to you."

"Is it regarding...the current situation?"

"...yeah. Well...I wasn't expecting this to happen. So...how do you keep Machi from getting pregnant?"

"...excuse me? What makes you so sure that me and Machi are even sleeping together?"

"...you mean you're not?"

"Um...that's kind of personal."

"...I wasn't expecting to be a father. I'd never even really thought about it. I mean, I'd considered that I might want it...in the future...but not right now. I'm not ready for this."

"You haven't told Rin any of this, have you?"

"Of course not. She needs to worry about herself, not me. She might get ideas in her head again. But...the farther along she gets...the more I realize that I'm not ready for this. What...if I end up being a bad father? What if it doesn't like me? What...if it's resentful because we didn't mean to have it?"

"...I don't have any experience in parenting, so I don't really have any advice for you", said Yuki, "But...you...you're a nice guy. I'm sure you won't do a bad job. And Rin might have her...personality flaws...but everybody does, and she's really not a spiteful or malicious person. You won't be a bad father, Haru. I'm sure of it. I mean, I'm sure there will be trouble sometimes, but...just let it always remember that you love it."

"It takes more than love to raise a kid."

"I know, but...it's not going to go perfectly. It never will. You might not necessarily do everything right, and you won't have a perfect kid, or be a perfect parent, but...plenty of people make do with that. Things still turn out all right between them even though they're not perfect. So you should just try your best."

Yuki suddenly became self-conscious.

"Er, I mean, not that I...really know or...I'm not trying to impose my opinions on you or anything..."

"No...thanks, Yuki. You always have good advice."

* * *

Wow...ten chapters...does that make this officially a "long story"?


	11. Baby Shower

Eh heh heh...I guess it's really dumb for me to apologize, huh? I guess if someone's read ten chapters of a story, they're not going to stop reading suddenly because of one chapter they don't like.

Anyway, I truly hope I'm doing a good job of keeping our lovely cast in character. Haru is the main one who worries me. He's the hardest for me to write, I think. After Akito. I think that's the main reason I apologized in Chapter 10. I was afraid he might seem OoC.

Anyway, thank you for your reviews and for following this story! As of Chapter 10, this story now has more reviews than any story I've written before! So I thank you all for that.

* * *

A couple weeks later, Rin and Haru returned to Kazuma's house after a day out together.

They thought something strange was going on. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Kazuma was supposed to be home...

Haru took the daring first step. He searched every room in the house while Rin waited.

"Rin!" he called from the far side of the house, "Come here, Rin!"

She came...

...and tried to go, as soon as she saw Tohru and Kagura. Since when had they teamed up?

"Ah! Y-you should be careful! Isuzu-san is very delicate!" cried Tohru, as Kagura tried to pull Rin out the back door. Rin was resisting.

"I am not delicate!" said Rin angrily, as Kagura finally managed to pull her out.

Rin and Kagura met eye-to-eye. Kagura was about to say something, but Rin cut her off curtly. "No. Don't say anything. You've already blabbed enough to the other members of the Zodiac, don't you think?"

"You said specifically not to tell Tohru. And I didn't. I didn't defy your wishes", Kagura replied.

"You. Told. Everyone."

"Ah! Isuzu-san!" Tohru cried, "Where did you get that chair?!" 

When Rin had been somewhat calmed (thanks to Haru's intervention), he said, "Look at all the food Tohru cooked."

Rin's eyes were on Tohru. "You didn't need to--Haru!!"

Haru was already helping himself.

"Oh, Isuzu-san! Kisa-san had something for you!" said Tohru.

Kisa was standing off to the side shyly, holding something behind her back.

"Go on! Give it to her!" said Kagura more forcefully.

Kisa held out a bag, blushing. Rin took it from her.

"Go on! See what's inside!" said Kagura.

"Shut up!! God, you're annoying!"

"Well, can you move any slower?!"

"Shut up!!"

Furiously, Rin opened the bag...and took out a CD.

Rin looked at the CD, then at Kisa, who was still standing there, shuffling her feet nervously.

"Oh...er...thanks", said Rin, putting the CD back in the bag.

"She liked it! Good work, Kisa-san!" said Tohru.

"Oh, but, I couldn't get you what I wanted!" said Kagura, "Because you don't know what gender it is yet! But I'd personally like it to be a girl, because then we could put her in adorable dresses! But if it's a boy, that's okay, too."

"I think it will be very cute either way", said Tohru.

"But I feel kind of bad for Shihan", said Kagura, "His house is normally so quiet, and there'll be a baby coming. He doesn't have any experience with babies, does he?"

"But...but I'm sure Shishou-san won't mind too much..." said Tohru.

"Nah, he's pretty good with kids. He'll be all right", Kagura replied, "But have you even thought of any names, Isuzu?"

Rin, who was feeling overwhelmed, hadn't said anything. "...names?"

"For your kid! Even if you don't know whether it's a boy or a girl, you should still have an idea what you want to name it!"

"I...haven't really thought about it."

"Oh! But I got you some things too, Isuzu-san!" said Tohru. She held out a bag of her own. "It has baby things..."

Rin didn't even open it. "I didn't ask for this! I can afford baby things, you know! You don't have to spend your money on me! You're the charity case here, not me!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Isuzu-san!"

Rin scowled. "Never mind...you didn't have to give me a baby shower...! You're all...stupid..."

...

Rin made like she was relieved when Tohru, Kagura, and Kisa finally left, but as soon as they were gone, she looked through the bag Tohru had given her.

"...so what's inside?" Haru asked from the doorway. Rin immediately whipped around.

"What are you doing sneaking up on me?!"

"I wasn't 'sneaking'. I just came to see what you were doing." Haru was carrying a plate of food. "And to give you this. You must be hungry. It's no wonder you were rushing those three out as quickly as possible." He gave her the food, then rummaged through the bag.

"Isn't this some of the food she cooked?"

"Yeah. Does that bother you?"

"...no, I guess not. She makes good food. I guess."

"...she really went all out, didn't she?" asked Haru, amused, as he pulled out the items in the bag one by one. "I think this baby thing has excited her more than anybody."

"Well, it's not hard to excite her", Rin replied, "That girl is so emotional. She gets frantic over every little thing."

"Still, it was nice of her to do all this."

Rin didn't reply.

* * *

It's probably pretty obvious by now, but we're getting into the home stretch. It won't be many more chapters now.


	12. What He's Been Planning

Thank you all for your reviews. They all make me so happy.

And thus, a mere two days after Chapter 11, I bring you this, Chapter 12 (but wait! I always update on Mondays and Wednesdays). Alas, but this is a special chapter. And thus, I most humbly present it to you.

* * *

"C'mon, Rin. Let's go out."

She looked at Haru curiously. "Huh?"

"We haven't been out in a while", said Haru, "And you must get bored being at home all day. Let's go out on a date."

"H-Haru..."

"Oh, who cares if people see you pregnant? If they talk bad about you, I'll beat them up."

"...you don't have to do that..."

"I know, but I'm serious!"

"I know you are, but I don't want you to make a scene or anything..."

"Don't worry. I'll try not to."

"Haru...! Never mind. Whatever. If you want to...then we can do it, I guess."

And thus, this earlier conversation had brought the two of them to this point--sitting opposite each other at a restaurant. Rin sat stiffly as though embarrassed, while Haru was slouched lazily in his chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, one elbow resting on the chair back.

"Your hair's starting to grow out again", said Haru, "But it must have taken a long time to get it as long as it was before."

"...I was growing it since I was a little kid."

"Yeah, I know. It's the mane of the horse, trailing behind her as she freely roams..."

"Haruuuu. Don't say stuff like that in public!"

"Oh, why not? I thought it sounded rather poetic. Maybe I should make it into a poem. I'd call it 'An Ode to Rin'..."

Rin was trying to act annoyed, and not doing a very good job of it. "...you don't have to write me any poetry. It's not like I'm really into that sort of thing anyway."

"Ah, but clearly you have a soft spot for roses..."

Rin remembered Ayame's bouquet of congratulations.

"Don't remind me!" she replied.

"You know they all mean well", said Haru, "It's just that the way they go about expressing their...er...well wishes...may not be to your liking."

"I just wish they'd get a clue", she replied.

"Oh, yeah. I am curious about something. Shihan said Ayame keeps calling for you..."

"He didn't actually answer any of those calls, did he?!" cried Rin in horror. She could just picture the unsuspecting Kazuma answering the phone, only to find out the real reason Ayame kept calling--measurements.

"I...don't know. Why? What's Ayame want to talk to you for?"

"That's none of your business! Er."

Haru was looking at her curiously, wondering why she was getting frantic.

"It's...not like it's anything important at all", she tried to assure him, "Shouldn't our food be here by now?! What's taking so long?!"

As if on cue, their food arrived. The waiter looked a little confused when Haru asked him to put Rin's food in a takeout box, but it was done.

Kazuma's house was dark when they got back.

"Where is he? It's after dark. He should be home", said Rin, "I mean, it's a good thing I have a key, or we would've been stuck outside waiting for him! Where the hell is he?!"

"Maybe he had, you know, places to go, people to see."

"Are you serious?! In the time I've been here, he hasn't had anything that could really be called a 'social life'."

"Which doesn't really make sense to me. We Sohma men, for some unexplainable reason, seem to have an irresistable gift that charms females. And not only is he a Sohma, but he looks younger than his age...he's pretty well-off...and he's single. He should have flocks of women swarming him."

"...most women clearly like guys who are already taken."

Haru blinked. "The person you're talking about, it's not--"

"I didn't necessarily mean you! You shouldn't assume things!"

"Um...okay."

They went inside. Rin flipped on the lights, and the two of them sat at the kitchen table. Rin began eating her dinner.

"When you think about it, it really is surprising that Shihan's gone so long being single. I wonder if he'll ever get married?"

Rin shrugged. "Kyo would probably scare off anyone he was interested in."

"Maybe now that he's got a girl, he won't be so possessive of Shihan."

"That's too optimistic. Kyo's a hotheaded idiot."

"Which means Tohru must really care deeply for him, if she puts up with it. Love lets you put up with difficult people."

They met each other's eyes.

"Not that I was talking about you, necessarily", Haru added.

A silence passed between them. Rin went back to her meal.

Then Haru asked, quietly, "Do you love me, Rin?"

She was completely taken aback by the question.

"You...you even have to ask?" She looked hurt. "Haru, you even have to wonder?"

"Well...how much do you love me?"

"...what do you mean? What are you...asking?"

Haru had the strong sense that he was venturing into dangerous waters. It was best to just spit it out.

"Rin, I love you. I want to be with you. Not just now, but...always. I know that I'll always love you, that my feelings won't ever change, and if you feel the same way...what's the point in putting it off to some point in the future? Now's just as good a time as any."

"Haru, what are you talking about?"

"Rin...will you marry me?"

She stared at him, wide-eyed.


	13. Preparations

This chapter's a little bit longer than usual, but I'm sure you all don't mind at all, huh?

All right, then. Here you go. Chapter 13. Enjoy. And thank you all for your reviews. :-)

* * *

"Um…uh…how is Isuzu-san?" asked Tohru.

"Well, she's really _stressed_", said Haru.

"Ah, I see. Well, maybe she'll be in a better mood once the baby is born."

Tohru didn't know that Rin was stressed about something else, as well. Something that Haru had brought up…

"Oh, it's such a mess! Maybe I came at a bad time…"

"Nah, those are mostly just empty boxes. For like the crib and stroller and stuff…"

"Ah. So…um…where will the baby sleep?"

"Well, Shihan has lots of space…it's not really a problem. We're setting up the baby in a spare room."

"Ah. So you'll come to see Isuzu-san and the baby all the time?"

"Well, actually, we're making _arrangements_."

"Arrangements?"

"Yeah. So I can live with her and the baby."

"R-really?!"

"Really."

"That's great! Oh, but I mean, um…I…I'm terribly sorry. I came at a bad time. Of course you need to make preparations for the baby. It's just that, um, I made something for Isuzu-san, but I could give it to her later…"

"Would your gift be that foil-wrapped pan you're carrying?"

"Eh heh…yes." She handed it to him.

"I bet it's tasty. I think I'll eat it now."

"Eh?! B-but…!"

"I'm kidding. Don't worry. I wouldn't eat it _all_ in one sitting."

"Well, um, but Hatsuharu-san…!"

"Ah, don't worry. I'll make sure Rin sees it. Shihan, too."

"Oh, um, thank you. But I…I really don't want to impose on you anymore than I already have…and besides, um, I really need to get back and cook dinner…"

"If you insist…but you're free to come back at anytime, you know."

"I will!"

It amused Haru that Tohru got frantic so easily.

He brought the pan into the kitchen and set it down on the counter. He was tempted, but he knew Rin and Kazuma were waiting for him, and Rin could get pretty…_testy_.

"What took so long?" asked Rin when he came back into the baby's room, "Who was it?"

"It was Tohru. She brought something for you."

"I thought I told that girl to stop giving me stuff! I can afford it!"

"Actually, it's more along the lines of something…_edible_."

"Ah, that was thoughtful of her. We can enjoy it as soon as we're done here", said Kazuma, who was sitting on the floor.

He and Haru had been halfway through setting up the crib when Tohru came by.

"I can set this up by myself, you know", Haru told him again, for the third or fourth time, "You don't have to get down on your hands and knees to help me."

"And I've already told _you_ that it's no trouble."

"…it's just a strange sight, seeing you do manual labor."

"Well, of course he must have done some work at some point", said Rin, who was standing nearby.

"I wasn't talking about martial arts", Haru replied, "Shihan, I need that screwdriver."

It was handed over.

"I will admit, this is an experience I've never had", said Shihan cheerfully, "I feel like a grandfather."

"_I_ feel like I want this kid to be born already", said Rin. She had her arms folded across her chest. An engagement ring glittered on her ring finger. "I'm doing all the work here, and I'm not even going to get to hold my own kid because everyone else is lined up for it!"

"I won't hold it, if you feel so strongly about it", Kazuma replied.

Rin looked startled. "Well…no, I wasn't necessarily talking about _you_…I mean…you can hold it…if you want to, that is."

Haru was pleased.

Kazuma smiled. "I'm honored that you would trust me with your child, Isuzu. Hatsuharu, have you got that end?"

"Yeah, I've got it, don't worry."

"All right, I've just got two more screws to get in. Make sure you hold that steady."

"I _will_."

All three of them were relieved when it was finally done.

"Well. That was a task", said Kazuma, getting to his feet. "I'm going to go freshen up. I'll meet you two in the kitchen and we'll see what Tohru-san's brought."

As soon as Kazuma was gone, Rin asked quietly, "So…have your parents been…receptive?"

Haru immediately got serious.

"They…haven't taken it very well", he replied, "But that's to be expected, I guess. They've been trying to tell me that I'm being too hasty, that I should take a step back and rethink things. They said the reason I'm even being forced into these decisions right now is because I wasn't thinking things through, wasn't considering the consequences. And…I hate to say it, but…they're right."

"Haru, you're being too hard on yourself."

"No, I'm not. Really. But…I'm sure of my decisions this time. I've thought things through. But…still…I think my parents are starting to come around. They _are_ going to be grandparents, after all. My mom's worried that this will ruin our image, but you know she's going to want to see it after it's born."

"So…I guess…in a way…we kind of have grandparents on both sides, huh…?"

"Yeah, I guess so. But it should be born soon." The two of them were migrating to the kitchen. "I think it's time we set a date for the wedding. I mean…"

"I don't really want to talk about it right now", said Rin dismissively.

"Why not? Are you having second thoughts?"

"No, it's not that…I mean, I don't mind getting married, not to you…but it's already spring. It's going to be born soon, and that's stressing me out enough without having to plan a wedding!" Her voice had been getting progressively louder. They now stood in the middle of the kitchen.

"Okay, okay…" Haru held her close to him. "I wasn't saying we have to plan everything out right now. I just wanted to know if you have any date at all in mind that you'd like."

"…there's no particular month that I like", she mumbled.

"Well, we can discuss it later…after the baby's born." He looked over her head, at the foil-covered pan sitting on the kitchen counter, untouched.

"…I'm hungry."

"Huh?"

"Do you want to see what Tohru brought?"

"I could care less", said Rin as Haru went to investigate.

He peeled the foil off. "It's a cake", he announced.

"What? What do you mean, a cake?" Rin came to stand next to him.

"A cake", Haru repeated, "I didn't even know she baked cakes."

'Congratulations Isuzu-san' had been written on it in white icing, and there was a little icing baby in off to the side of it.

"She even wrote all of it in kanji. That must have been a pain", said Haru.

Rin was embarrassed. "Is she stupid or something?! I told her not to do anything for me, but she does anyway!"

"…looks yummy."

Rin didn't like Kazuma's reaction, either.

"It was very thoughtful of her", he said.

"Oh, I…I can tell you two are just dying to eat it, so go ahead!"

"Are you sure, Isuzu?" asked Kazuma.

"Of course I'm sure! I don't just say things for no reason!"

Still, they left her a slice of the cake. And by that evening, it had been eaten.

* * *

There's not much more to go now. I hope you all will stick with me to the end.


	14. Last Minute Stress?

Wow...this story now has more than 50 reviews...I'm shocked!

Anyway, our anti-Yuki members of the audience aren't going to like this chapter. Oh well.

I try to answer questions about the story here, and I think a while back someone asked roughly where this takes place in the storyline and where Tohru is living? Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. I'm usually trying to get the chapters posted as quickly as possible, so I forget sometimes. The answer to that is, this is after the end of the storyline (but not much after). And...I really never gave much thought to where Tohru was living. Maybe she and Kyo moved out...?

Anyway, sorry for the long delay, and here's an update!

* * *

"Oh, so things are going well, then?" asked Yuki.

Haru nodded. "Really well, I'd say. Rin's even gotten close to deciding on a date. She wants September."

"…why September?"

"I don't know, but I don't mind either way. If she's actually thinking about this stuff, then that's good enough for me."

"So…you're really going to do it, huh?" asked Yuki quietly, "I'm sorry, but the thought of you getting married…_now_…it's just hard to believe."

"I know. I can hardly believe it myself. I wasn't even sure what came over me. I mean, I'd been thinking about marrying Rin from the very beginning, but I didn't think I'd have the guts to actually propose. I mean, I think I'd always wanted to be with Rin forever…I mean, get married someday, have kids, live our lives together…but I wasn't expecting it to happen _now_. It seemed like something that didn't really require immediate thought or attention because it was off in the future. But…there's not much I can do now. And…there's not necessarily anything wrong with being young parents or getting married young, is there?"

"Not necessarily", Yuki replied.

"And I mean, it's not like I was with Rin just to have fun."

"…I think anyone could figure that out. No offense, but unless you actually love Rin, it's not worth the trouble."

"I could say the same thing about Machi. She seems to be a stubborn one, too."

"She can be, but…" Yuki was thoughtful. "We have an understanding."

"Are you going to marry her?"

"Well…it could take her a while to accept that marriage would make her related to nii-san. And it would make _me_ related to Kakeru. So I think at this point, it's mutually discouraging."

"Ah…"

"So you're going to move in with Shihan after the baby's born?" asked Yuki.

"Yeah, Shihan said it was all right, but…I still feel kind of bad about it. He's a nice guy, but I don't want to feel like I'm…_reaping the benefits._"

"No, you're not that sort of malicious person."

"That's why I'm going to start working things out. The rest of this year is going to be pretty tense. We have a wedding to work out…and after the wedding, I was going to start getting ready to move out. It's not like I want to stay in Shihan's house forever…if me and Rin are going to be together, we have to stand on our own."

"Well, if you--"

Haru's cell phone started ringing.

"It's Shihan", he said, then answered it. "Hello?"

He was quiet. Then he slowly flipped the phone shut.

"What is it?" asked Yuki.

"…Rin is having the baby."

* * *

All right. You all know what's coming in Chapter 15, now.

But to tell you the truth, I originally planned to have this story cover the time Rin is pregnant--meaning it ends when the baby is born. But I could write more after it's born, if you really want me to.


	15. The Moment of Truth

I have no idea how they do things in Japanese hospitals...

Okay. Here's what I've decided to do. I'll end this fic with this chapter like I originally planned to do. But I will continue the story in a different fic. I just need time to write more...

* * *

"Rin?!" Haru cried when he saw her.

"Don't worry about her. She'll be fine. But the birth was hard on her, and it tired her out", the nurse told him. "And you're the father? Hatsuharu Sohma-san?"

"Yeah…how'd you know that?"

"Kazuma Sohma-san told us. He said he was Isuzu-san's guardian. He said I would know Hatsuharu Sohma-san because he would immediately burst into the room to check on Isuzu-san, and he would have white hair. I couldn't believe that when I heard it, but it's true…"

"So the baby's…already born? Is it in the nursery? Will they let me see it?"

The nurse nodded…

…and Haru was off!

"Who are you?" asked another nurse, in the nursery.

"I'm Hatsuharu Sohma. My fiancée just had a baby…Isuzu Sohma?"

"Oh, of course…I was told to look for the white hair…so do you want to see your baby?"

"Yes…I'm allowed to, right?"

"Of course. Follow me." She led him into the nursery and picked up a baby in an incubator, swaddled in a pink blanket. "Congratulations, Sohma-san…you have a daughter."

He awkwardly held out his arms as the nurse gave the baby to him to hold. He looked down into his daughter's face.

_His daughter_. It was strange to think of her that way. His…daughter. He was a parent. It was for real now. This baby, _he_--Haru Sohma--was her…_father_. This tiny little creature, this was a…human being? And he had contributed to its--_her_--existence?

Yes. It was "her" now, not "it".

He just stared at her for a few minutes. He was so big and she was so small. It felt like he could squish her. He was afraid to move. What if he dropped her?!

He gave her back to the nurse. He couldn't trust himself. What if he tripped and fell and…?

Still. He couldn't help himself. Holding her brought him a certain sense of pride and pleasure.

…

Rin groggily opened her eyes.

Haru was slouched in a chair, his legs sprawled open, his arms folded across his chest, asleep.

"Haru…?" she said wonderingly. When had he gotten there?

He opened his eyes. "You're awake…" he said, "How are you feeling?"

"Don't ask", she muttered, "Just…don't…"

"Ok. So…it's a girl."

"…yeah. Have you seen her already?" asked Rin.

"Yeah. I held her, too. She looks like you…"

"No…you don't have to flatter me…surely she looks like _you_."

"Nah, she--"

"Haru."

"What?"

"I want to see her."

"Oh, sure. I'll go get the nurses."

When he came back, Rin said, "…I want to hold her."

"Ok. Are you feeling up to it?"

"…yeah." Carefully, Haru picked up the baby and placed her in Rin's arms.

"…well, she's not crying, at least…" said Rin.

…

"How has Isuzu been?" queried Kazuma.

"She hasn't been feeling well. She threw up a lot and she hasn't had any appetite at all. She feels weak, but she doesn't want to sleep, and it got on her nerves whenever the baby cried."

"I see. So were you doing your fair share of the parental duties?"

"Yeah…I hold her when she gets upset and I even fed her a couple times when Rin wasn't feeling well. She eats a lot."

"She uses bottles?"

"Yeah…Rin doesn't really have the _patience_ for the other way most of the time." Haru set the baby carrier on the kitchen table.

"She's a cute girl", said Kazuma, peering inside the carrier, "She'll no doubt grow up to be a looker like her parents."

"Maybe. But then, I don't want a bunch of guys looking at my daughter. But since she's a Sohma, you know some guys'll probably think she's cute…but I'll just have to show them their place." He looked around. "Hmm…there are plenty of things in a kitchen that would do nicely. But power tools are also good."

"Just don't do anything illegal", said Kazuma.

"Rin just isn't feeling well…and hospital stays always make her cranky. But really, she's not mad or bitter or anything. She does love her. She said…she wants to try and be a good mother to her. She said she'll never stop loving her…and I know that must sound unbelievably sappy coming from Rin, but…that's why she only says this stuff to me. Don't tell her I told you, though."

Kazuma smiled. "I won't."

Haru took the baby out of her carrier. "She's pretty popular. People already want to hold her."

"You have quite a line."

"She's so small, isn't she?" asked Haru.

Gently, Kazuma stroked one of her hands with a finger. Her tiny fist unclenched, and her tiny fingers closed around Kazuma's.

"Hey, she likes you. Want to hold her?" Before Kazuma really had a chance to reply, Haru put the newborn in his arms, then went down the hall to check on Rin.

* * *

Thank you all for your reviews, favoriting this story and putting it on your alert. Thank you all.

Alas, we've reached the end. But I will write more, so no worries. Thank you all, and good day.

(Also...I never actually named their daughter. If anyone has any suggestions, that would be appreciated).


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